The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Rating: ***1/2

Who would have guessed that one of the most divisive films of our age would be a tawdry, but chaste, tale of a love triangle between a high school aged human, vampire and werewolf? The sheer vitriol against these movies, and the books from whence they came, boggles the mind considering the content. Is Twilight cheesy? Yes. A bit old fashioned? Sure. Do its young actors sometimes confuse making a frowny face with actual emoting? Most definitely yes.

But for so-called Twi-hards, the haters don’t matter and even they realize that the movie they’re so invested in isn’t exactly melodrama par excellence like, let’s say, Gone with the Wind. There were more than a few chuckles at some of the cheesier bits of New Moon at the press screening, which had a healthy mix of hardcore fans in there with the press. So how do you tell that Eclipse is a marked improvement over its predecessors? Fewer laughs.

So far as Twilight movies go, Eclipse is sharper, tighter and just all around better than the first two films in the franchise, but this could be for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the source material. Stephanie Meyer’s third novel set in the Twilight universe saw grand improvements in terms of character development and building rising action.

Then there’s the film’s director, David Slade. The filmmaker’s last tango with vampires, the bloody good comic adaptation 30 Days of Night, couldn’t have been further from the “Parents Don’t Just Understand” vampires’ world of Twilight. You know there’s a change a-coming when the opening scene in Eclipse takes place on a rain soaked street in Seattle where a boy is tormented, mawed and left to die in agony on a pier. Anyone walking in unfamiliar with the novel may think for a minute that some one got chocolate in their peanut butter.

But soon things settle down to what you’d expect from Twilight. Bella (Kristen Stewart), being a modern young woman struggles with the notion of marrying her vampire beau Edward (Robert Pattinson) as condition of him turning her into a vampire. At the same time she’s struggling to keep her friendship with werewolf pal Jacob (Taylor Lautner), which isn’t easy for the boy considering that his crush’s boyfriend is one of his tribe’s sworn enemies.

But much of the hate is put aside when Bella comes under threat from an army of new born vampires under the sway of the vengeful Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard effectively, but not convincingly replacing Rachelle Lefevre). Twi-haters may actually like this aspect of the film, seeing what they would consider more “real” vampires in this VINO (Vampire In Name Only) movie. The story culminates in what’s actually a pretty decently executed fight scene between the new born vamps and the werewolves/good vampires super-team.

Also stronger is some of the acting and dialogue. Edward’s self-referential pondering as to whether or not Jacob owned a shirt got a few (in context) laughs, but not as many as this uncomfortable version of “The Talk” between Bella and her normally stoic dad Charlie (Billy Burke). The three main actors – Stewart, Pattinson and Lautner – continue to show improvement and comfort in their parts, but there may still be an irritant factor for those who show up to the film under less voluntary circumstances. Instead, focus on the impish charm of Ashley Greene’s Alice and the cool dignity of Jackson Rathbone’s Jasper, who I believe gets more lines in Eclipse than in the first two movies combined.

Still, no matter what a critic has to say, members of Team Edward and Team Jacob will swoon for their respective namesakes, while Team Death-to-Bella will just come out to throw salt in people’s good time. Perhaps endurance when it comes to dealing with all things Twilight depends on one’s own ability to put themselves in the mind of a 13-year-old girl. If nothing else, Eclipse is entertaining whether you genuinely enjoy it, or genuinely enjoy ragging on it.

But for those interested in the movie itself, Eclipse is answer and antidote to typical male-driven summer blockbusters. Perhaps that’s the ultimate conundrum of Twilight. Without robots, wizards or superheroes it’s captured the imagination (and money) of so many. Much like the story’s vampire protagonist, who point blank refuses to have sex with his girlfriend until they’re married, there’s something old-fashioned in Twilight, and that seems to be okay to the female demographic that made this franchise a billion dollars.

So to all the haters out there, do yourself a favour and save that hate for things that matter, like British Petroleum or Soccer World Cup. And to Twi-hards everywhere, enjoy what is the best Twilight yet with aplomb. As if you haven’t already.